EA gave "extra support" to HMV for Mass Effect 3

Electronic Arts gave "extra support" to UK retailer HMV for the launch of Mass Effect 3 last week, according to reports.Retail Week (via MCV) claims that EA gave HMV a boost afterGame Group chose not to stock Mass Effect 3 because the publisher refused to relax its credit terms.The strategy appears to have worked for EA - despite HMV's own financial woes - with Mass Effect 3entering the UK chart at number one on Monday, outselling the combined launch-week sales of the first two games in the series.It's also vindication for John Riccitiello, the EA CEO who last weektold investors: "If a particular retailer is gone, other retailers will absorb the business… If one goes away, the other guys pick up the slack."